Elements of Short Stories
Name and define one type of figurative language.
Metaphor, Simile, Personification, Irony, Allusion, Hyperbole, Onomatopoeia, Idiom, Alliteration
Who are the main characters in "The Veldt"?
George, Lydia, Peter, and Wendy Hadley
The narrator's mental state in this story makes him a(n) ___________________ narrator.
unreliable
Why is the title "The Lesson" significant?
Miss Moore is teaching the children a lesson, it is left ambiguous to the reader what exactly that lesson is.
What are the five parts of the sequence of plot? (In the correct order)
Exposition, rising action, climax, falling action, resolution
What are the six types of conflict?
Character vs. Character, Character vs. Society, Character vs. Technology, Character vs. Nature, Character vs. Supernatural, Character vs. Self
What is the main conflict in "The Veldt"?
Character vs. Technology
What is the very first danger the narrator discovers in his prison cell after waking from his initial fainting spell?
The Pit, which he nearly falls into while exploring the room
What role does dialogue play in "The Lesson"?
The dialect with which the characters speak tells a lot about their socioeconomic status and about their education.
Why are the children so bothered by Miss Moore?
She dresses and acts in a way that makes them think she is "stuck up"
Define theme.
The central message or lesson of a story
Identify an example of figurative language in "The Veldt."
"The house is wife and mother now," all of the descriptions of what the house can do, etc.
The setting of the story is most explicitly identified as a dungeon during the peak of which historical event?
The Spanish Inquisition
What does Sylvia mean when she says, "Ain't nobody gonna beat me at nuthin"?
Sylvia is determined to have a better life. She doesn't want anyone to be superior to her.
What is foreshadowing?
When an author hints at future plot points
What is omniscient point-of-view?
When the story is able to move from one character to another, from event to event. The narrator “knows all” in a sense, having access to all thoughts and feelings.
What mood is established in "The Veldt"?
Tense, uneasy, fearful
Describe the sensory language used in "The Pit and the Pendulum."
To enhance the reader's fear, Poe uses languages to incite all of the reader's senses: taste, smell, touch, hearing, and sight.
How does the setting influence the events in "The Lesson"?
NYC - Has a very wide range of wealth. Some are very poor and some are exceedingly wealthy.
FAO Schwartz - A toy store with, arguably, unnecessarily expensive toys
In “The Veldt”, Peter and Wendy want to take what to New York?
A rocket
What is the difference between mood and tone?
Tone is the author's attitude towards a subject, while mood is the feeling or atmosphere the reader experiences.
Describe the setting of "The Veldt."
The futuristic HappyLife Home, which cooks and cleans and includes a realistic nursery which takes the form of anything it is asked.
What is the primary conflict faced by the protagonist in "The Pit and the Pendulum"?
Character vs. Self, Character vs. Society
What lesson does the protagonist learn in "The Lesson"?
Several possible answers.
1. Work hard and get an education to improve quality of life
2. Don't let anything hold you back
3. Wealth is not evenly distributed amongst NYC citizens
4. People with money sometimes spend it on unnecessary things
At the beginning of his torture, the narrator in "Pit" is most obsessed with determining the nature of his environment. What is the main source of his terror regarding the unknown nature of his cell?
Not knowing what form of death his captors have reserved for him